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‘Fake Facebook profile, sextortion threats’: 78-year-old Bengaluru man targeted online, FIR lodged
The Bengaluru cyber police are verifying the social media accounts and phone numbers mentioned in the complaint.
According to the complaint, the accused initially contacted the elderly man on Facebook. She later shared a WhatsApp number and continued the conversation there.
A 46-year-old homemaker has filed a complaint with the Bengaluru cyber police alleging that her 78-year-old father-in-law was targeted in an online sextortion and blackmail attempt by a woman who befriended him on social media.
According to the complaint, filed on March 3, the accused initially contacted the elderly man on Facebook. She later shared a WhatsApp number and continued the conversation there.
The police said the interaction allegedly began with friendly chats but eventually led to intimate video calls. The accused then reportedly began blackmailing the victim, initially demanding Rs 2 lakh and later increasing the amount.
The complainant further alleged that the accused also created a fake Instagram account impersonating the victim. Family members were reportedly added to the account, and the accused allegedly threatened the victim that she would circulate private photos and videos to defame him.
“She has already begun uploading such content with the intention to defame him and mentally harass our family,” the complainant stated in the FIR.
The woman stated in her complaint that the incident caused severe emotional distress to the family and that her father-in-law, owing to his advanced age, was unable to approach the police himself.
The cyber police have registered a case under Section 66 (C) (identity theft), and Section 67 (publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form) of the Information Technology Act, and Section 318(4) (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
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The police are now verifying the social media accounts and phone numbers mentioned in the complaint. Efforts are underway to trace the person operating the profiles and initiate appropriate legal action.
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